Merchant Navy officer from Odisha, who was on China-bound ship, goes missing near Mauritius; mother shares details

Sarthak Mahapatra has now gone missing

A merchant navy official from Odisha’s Bhadrak district has allegedly gone missing while on duty aboard a vessel near Mauritius on February 3, prompting his family to seek urgent intervention from the central and state governments, officials said.

The missing seafarer has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, a resident of Kespur village in Bhadrak district. He has been working with a private shipping company since July 2025.

According to his mother, Rashmita Mohapatra, the vessel had sailed from China to West Africa and was on its return journey to China via Singapore.

I (Rasmita Sahoo) am a distressed mother seeking urgent help. My son Cadet Sarthak Mohapatra has gone missing while on board vessel M.V. EA Jersey on 3rd Feb 2026 during sailing. @CMO_Odisha@PMOIndia@dgshipping_IN@angloeasterngrp@MEAIndia@DrSJaishankar@IndianDiplomacypic.twitter.com/Ei9S8riU27

— RASMITA SAHOO (@rasmitasahoo76) February 4, 2026

"When the ship was near Singapore on February 2, he spoke to me, other family members, and his friends," she said.

Expressing anguish over her son’s disappearance, she appealed for immediate government intervention. "We are devastated at his disappearance and request the central and state governments to intervene urgently. We have sent emails appealing to the Odisha government to rescue my son and bring him back home safely," she said.

Rashmita Mohapatra also sought assistance from the prime minister, the chief minister, the director general of shipping and the ministry of external affairs through posts on X.

"As a mother, I request a transparent investigation, access to CCTV footage, details of his personal belongings and continuous official updates," she wrote.

Sources in the Odisha government said the matter has been taken up with the concerned authorities in New Delhi and a request has been made to inquire into the incident.